Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1887-05-26
Mrs. McGinty's Crest.


scorning society, sought only such honor:
as lie in American politics and the profits
such as evading the license law and dis
tributing patronage, that lie in ''inhOO-
ence" Mrs. McGinty, however, went to
Europe, put Maggie and Mary in pin
sion" at Paris, and did Switzerland and
the bogs of her ancestors with unabating
enthusiasm and industrious impartiality.
She came back recently, the young ladies
having been polished till they shown, and
settled down in her new mansion near the
big cathedral. The first stumbling block
that afflicted her in her conquest of New
York was note paper, and for note paper
she started last week.
In looking over Tifiany's sample book
she struck a beautiful green crest with
birds and things. 1t delighted her.
"rll take that wan" she said with ill.,
different majesty. From her manner she
appeared to have bought thousands of
crests ii her time.
"But a-really, said the clerk, that is
Mrs. Van Spankerboom's. It's her own,
you know"
"An' fare did she git it p said the lady
Indignantly. 1t appeared that it might
have been stolen from her.
"She a-they look them up in books,
you know. Everybody has a crest, you
know-somewhere."
"Av coorse | know" said Mrs. McGin-
ty contemptuously. But all the same, as
she sailed out of the doorway like an Irish
galleon freighted with gold and precious
stones she was angry and mortified. Ev-
erybody had one. Where was hers? BY
luck she went into Brentanos, and in
Brentanos she found it.
On the showcase was an artistic design
for framing, consisting of a shield with
bars, arabesques, helmet, a coronet, and
four geological Nightmares with red
tongues. Mrs. McGinty gazed at it hun
grily. She controlled her feelings, how
ever.
"What's theproice av that thing there"
she said, with an airy smile.
"Its not for sale, Madam"
"Gorra, l thart shtores was fur sellin',"
she said, with faint but amiable sarcasm.
1--WE could make copy of it for you,
Madam"
"For how much ?"
"Twenty-fve dollars"
dts not the money I'd moind, but its
goin away we are. Faith, its purity
picter now to have in the frint parlor.
Why don't We sell me that an paint an
odther wan?'
"I-I don't know" said the clerk
doubtfully.
"Here, wrap it up. An ye nadent
moind the change" she said pushing three
ten-dollar bills at him. And she got it.
She went back to Tifany's on the wind.
She went straight to the clerk and hand
ed it to him.
"There's me crist " said she. with aris-
tocratic ease.
He bowed and unwrapped it. He was
a little puzzled, for it seemed somewhat
familiar.
1T is-pardon me-this is the McGin-
ty crest?"
CAV coorse. What would / be doin'
wild amy odther."
1.-TWO bars ?" asked he. 1t had two
bars argent on a shield sable.
"Yis. Two bars" she said annoyed.
"Wan on Fourteenth street an wan on
Fify-third an Sixth aveney. Ye can
see for yourself"
"And three lions?"
"No lions at all. What Is it ye're
tarkin'. Them's bulldargs, Mike, Andy
an Pat. They're in the wood she'd at
me residence, an ye must know"
He said no more, but filed the order
with only a saving modification. Mrs.
McGinty now has quite as good crest
as anybody, but there Is an old Dutch
family up town that are strangely agi-
tated. Envelopes long and loud are
floating about the city with a crest
strangely like that on the market gar
dener's boat Of their ancestor Of the sew
enteenth century, and upon the altar Of
American bullion they are sacrificed.
EngIdHd's Throne.
The throne Of England, 20 splendid